Buckles



H. ERDMANN Aug. 4, 1959 BUCKLES Filed Ost. 8, 1953 FIG.2

FIG

FIG.4

INVENTOR HANS ER DNIAN N ATTORNEY United States Kohinoor, Inc.-, Lang Island City, N.Y. a corporation of New York Application October 8, 1953, Serial N0. 384,946

3 Claims. (C1. 24-73) This invention relates to improvements in buckles, and more particularly to an improved adjustab le bckle of the type which may be adjusted by being bodily moved along the length of its strap or the like which it secure's, so that the strap may be made long'er or shorter accordir'1g to individual requirements.

Broadly stated, an object of the invention is the provision of an adjustable buckle which may be shifted along the length of its strap to a desired position 015 adjustment both easily and unobtrusively.

Another object of the invent'ion is the rovision of an adjustable buckle characterized as in the foregoing, which may be released from its strap to effect change of buckle position either by changing the angular relation of strap to buckle, or by relieving the p'u'll on the strap occurring during normal use thereof.

A furthe1 object of the invention is the Provision of an adjustable buckle characteriz6d as in the foregoing, which is so Constructecl and arreinge'd that the strap with which it is associate'd may be threaded through the buckle generally in the plane thereof; that is to say, without folding of the strap'- under the bu'ckle;

Yet another obj'ect of the invention is the rovision o'f an improved adjstalvle' buckle of the type in which the strap with which it is associated may be threaded more or less freely through the buckle to assume a Position generally parallel thereto, in conjunCtion With a clamping member car'ried by the buckle and which operates in resp'onse to normal pull exerted on the strap to clam-p the Buckle; thereto and thereby arrest movement of the buckle.

A more particular object of the invention is the provisior1 of an adjustable buckle ofi the type which may be slid along the length of the strap with which it is associated to effect tightening and loosening of said strap, and which is provided Wi'th a Simple yet hig hly efiective pivoted clampin'g mem-ber -for seeurifig fliebuckle=fostrap in any desired osition of adjustment along the length thereof.

Yet another object of the invention is the provision of an adjustable bnckle as last above specified, wherein the clamping member is of the pivoted lever type and is so associated With the Buckle that lt exercises its clamping function in response to pull on the strap occurring during normal use thereof, while at the same time is operative to release itself from the strap when pull 01' tension on the strap is relieved o1 by changing the normal angular relationship of strap to buckle.

The above and other objects and features 013 advantage of an adjustable buckle according to the invention Will appear from the following detailed description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings illustrating preferred physical ennbodiments thereof, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view o f the improved buckle according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the buckle viewed ifrom the 1'ight side, Fig. 1;

atent asm5sa Palented Aug. 4, 1959 Fig. 3 is a bottoin plan view of the buckle illustrzited in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a section taken along line 44 of Fig. 3, illustrating the clamping action exercised by the pivoted clatnping member forming a part of the buckle illustrated in -the preceding views;

Fig. 5 is a section similar to Fig. 4 but illustrating the stfap-releasirig action of the pivoted clamping member; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view 011 a somewhat reduced scale of the novel buckle in use for securing, for example, the ends of a strap together.

Referring to the drawings, reference numeral 10 (Fig. 6) designates one end of a strap, belt or the like (hereinafter for convenience termed a strap) which is shown to be secured to the other end 11 thereof by an adjustable buckle B according to the present invention. Illustrati-vely, the buckle fastens to said other end 11 of the strap by butt0ning to a button 13 sewed or otherwise secured the'reto, as shown.

As seerl in Figs. 1 and 3, the =buckle B is made in tWo par'ts, the one part designated 30 comprising a rectangular' bckle frame provided With longitudinally spaced transv'erse forward and rearward belt slots 31, 32 respectively, and the other part designated 33 comprising a roughly J-shaped plate member which is pivoted to the buczkle art 30 adjacent a front cor'ner thereof and at a point which is disposed to one side of the forward slot 32 of said buckle part by meansof a rivet 34 so as to swing in a plane parallel thereto. As will be explained, the bnc'kle parf 33 serves both as a belt clamping means and as a means ;for securing the buckle as a whole to the strap end 11. T0 provide the latter function, the buckle part 33 is' formed With a af orwardly projecting portion' which has a key-hole slot 35 adapted to receive the button 13 o'n the end 11 of the strap, whereby the buckle may be detachably afilxed thereto.

- As also Seen in Figs. 1 and 3, the forWard slot 32 pro- Vided in the main buckle part or -frame is widened as at 36 for' approximately half its length. The short leg of the J'-shaped buckle part 33 which is sPaced a substar'1tialdistr1ce frorn the pivot poirit 34 functior'1s as a clamping arn1 37 adapted to extend generally transversely to the fram e and to underlie said widened slot portion 36. As 'illu'strated, the inner edgeof said clam-ping arm 37, which is preferably forrned with teeth 38, normally aligns with the rea;rward edge of the forward buckle slot 32. Thus, in the ind'ac'tive (norl-clamping) position of the buckle part 3-3, the clamping arm imposes no interference to the strap end 10 'being threaded throu'gh the buckle to assume a osition as illustrated in Fig. 6, 01' to the buckle as a whole being slid along the strap.

In use of the aforesaid buckle, lt is buttoned to the strap end 11, and the free strap end lll is cooperated With, i.e. threaded upwardly through rearward slot 31 and downwardly through forward slot 32 of the buckle part '3i) in the manner illustrated in Fig. 6, it being here noted that the belt end 10 extends more or less straightway through the buekle; that is to say, it is not folded under er back on itself. During the threading-through operation, the clamping arm 37 either maintains itself in its inactive position, or it is so held by finger pressure applied to the hook 01 detent 46 which extends sidewardly 'beyond the edge o-f the buckle frame and hence is readily accessible. By reference to Fig. 4, it Will also l3e seen that the leaving or forward-end portion of the strap overlies the forwardly disposed arm 37 of said clamping member and then passes downwardly intermediate the forward edge of said arm and the forward edge o1: the forward slot 32.

Assuming that the buckle has been shifted along the free end of the strap 10 to a position giving the proper length of strap, and tl1at the latter has been applied to the Waist of the wearer, for example, normal strain applied to the strap in use thereof tends to cause the ends of the strap to separate (see arrows Fig. 4), whereby the buckle part 33 tends to swing away from its companion buckle *part 30 (cloekwise, Fig. 1', and downwardly, T F i."5).

Such results in the inner edge of the clamping arin 37, having the teeth 38 thereon, moving towards the freut edge of the said for-warcl strap slot 32, thereby to clamp or bind the belt portion passing through said slot against said freut edge, as indicated in Fig. 4.

T0 release the buckle from the strap end 10, it is only necessary either to relieve the pull thereon, whereupon the buckle part 33 is free to return to its inactive Position, or to change the angularity of strap ends t0 buckle, as by inserting the fingers beneath the forward arrd rearward edges of the buckle and pressing the adjacent underneath strap portions towards one another so that they extend generally perpendicular rather than parallel to said buckle, such also freeing the buckle part 33 so that it may return to its inactive position.

Preferztbly, the ncvel buckle B is also provided with means for limiting the swinging rnovement cf the buckle part 33 with respect to the frarne part 30. Illustratively, such means comprises a bent-over hook or detent 40 extending from a side edge of the buckle art 33 and engaging in a recess 41 provided in the corresponding edge of the buckle frame 30, and whose end edges provide stop shoulders 41a, 42a. Accordingly, the clamping member may swing only throughout the limited arc as defined by said stop shoulders. It will be understood that other means for limiting the swinging mc-vement of the clamp ing member With respect to the buckle frame may be substituted for that illustrated.

Without further analysis, it will be seen that the above described and illustrated form cf an adjustable buckle achieves the ebjectives therefor outlined in the above. That is to say, the buckle may be readily slid along a strap end to a desired position of adjustment therealong, whereupon it clamps to the strap= in more or less automatic fashion in response to normal pull applied to the strap ends when the buckle is usecl in the conventional manner. The buckle may be released from the strap end 10 in exceedingly simple manner as well as by unobtrusive manipulation, which latter is very desirable when applied to ladies belts 01' Wearing apparel. In addition to the foregoing advantages, adjustable buckles according to the invention may be inexpensiveb manufactured and possess a neat appearance.

Although an elfective form of an adjustable buckle according to the invention has been described and illustrated in its application to straps and the like whose ends are to be fastened one to the other, it will be understood that such is illustrative only of various other applications to which the improved buckle of the invention is adapted o1 can 1ae adapted.

As many changes could -be made in carrying out the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description er shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

l. A two-part buckle for cooperation with a belt strap, one part comprising a substantially rectangular frame having a pair of longitudinally spaced transverse slots enabling one end ortion of the strap disposed in longitudinal direction with-respect to the buckle to be threaded upwardly through the rearwarcl slot and downwardly through the forward slot of said buckle, the other buckle part comprising a combined buckle-to-strap fastener aud strap clamping member pivotally connected to the frame at a point thereof disposed generally to one side of the forward slot thereof for swinging movement in a plane closely parallel to and underlying the plane of the frame, said member ha ving a forwardly extending ortion pro- .vided with'means for fastening the buckle as a whole to the other end of the strap ancl including a clamping arm wl:uch is spaced a substantial distance from the pivot point and 'exterids generally transversely of the frame and is normally disposed just rearwardly of said forward slot thereof, sai-d clamping arm having a forward clamping edge which tends to move toward the forward edge of said forward slot thereby to clamp the belt portion extending through said slot against said forward edge responsive to pullexerted 011 the strap causing saicl buckle partsto sWing away frem one another, v

2. A two-part buckle substaintially as set forth in claim 1, wherein said member is roughly J-shaped and its clamping arm compriseS the short leg thereof.

3. A two-part buckle substantiallyas set forth in claim lwherein the portion cf the forward frame slot remote from said pivot pointis widened rearwardly, and wherein said mernber is roughly'J-shaped and its clamping arm comprises the short leg thereof and extends at:ross said widened portion in position such that its forward clamp- 'ing edge normally extends in continuation of the rearward edge proper of said forward frame slot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

